Safety and Mountaineering

We are proud of our safety record. That does not mean that accidents do not occur, or that guides can eliminate all risk in the mountains.

Book with Confidence

In booking with Alpine Guides you know you will get a NZMGA/IFMGA qualified guide who has been through a prudent mentoring process. In guiding we try to achieve success, but never at a cost to safety.

Developing Standards for NZ Guiding

AGL has strongly supported the New Zealand Mountain Guides Association and its standards from establishment in 1974. AGL company directors and senior guides have been instrumental in developing NZMGA standards in a continuous evolution. Alpine Guides is (and always has been) a proponent of the terrain and professional guidelines promoted by the NZMGA. We meet or exceed the guidelines relating to the training and mentoring of guides.

The IFMGA is the international body that sets and maintains mountain and ski guide qualifications for over 25 countries. The NZMGA became a member of the IFMGA in 1981, so our guides are qualified under this international system.

Risk Elimination is Not Possible

There are risks associated with mountaineering and skiing. The best guide in the world cannot anticipate or eliminate all risks. We prefer a balanced and conservative approach to the development of our guides, and to the work we undertake.

By definition, climbing and skiing are about being exposed to unmodified, uncontrolled terrain. Potential risks include falls, crevasses, avalanches, rock and ice fall and others.

Of course, as with most worthwhile things and activities in life, there are certain risks. But do you want to spend your life in bed with the covers pulled over your head?